The Dragon King's Obsession

SIX

Now, everyone knew I was the king’s property to be guarded but not touched. The men escorted me back to where they took me, making sure not to touch me.

We went back the same way we came and I noted a familiar passageway. The castle was grand with finely polished doors, expensive tapestries and a lot of corridors. It was empty of people save for servants scuttling about.

The more stairs we took, the fewer people we came across so I knew we were close to the king’s personal quarters, my personal prison. If I was to get away from this barbarian that called me his then this would be a good time.

The men slowed as I slowed. The one with the broken hands to my left, blocked off all possible exits while the other bought up the rear. To my right was nothing. Yes, nothing. Nothing but a vast emptiness. It felt as though if I stood close enough to the edge, I would touch the skies. The memory of plummeting and the vomit on my face, my heart in my throat, made me stay put.

Then an idea struck.

“Don’t touch me!” I screamed, jumping away from them. The men halted with bewildered expressions.

“What are you on about? No one touched you,” The man behind me answered, Adam apple bobbing. He glared at me but his serpentine eyes, red and angry, were unsure.

“You disgusting pervert! How dare you grope me from behind!” I screamed. His jaw dropped looked and his face reddened. Zephyr, the man with the broken hands turned to him with a molten glare.

“It was you who put hands on her the first time yet it is I with broken hands. And now, you have deigned to touch her again?” Smoke poured out of his nostrils as he glared at his partner.

“I never touched her, the lying wench!” He advanced on me but his companion stepped between us.

“You will not touch her! She belongs to the king! “ Zephyr, the dragon with the broken hands snarled, getting up in the other's face.

They started to argue, voice thundering while I crept away. I dashed down the closest stairs when the first shove came. Zephyr staggered as he was pushed twenty feet away.

“Where is she!?” I heard one of them screech.

I bounded down the stairs, heart in my throat. I tried to create a mental map of the castle, having been out of my holding twice. It wasn’t easy. I ran through several corridors until I ended up right where I started.

“There she is!” I turned back and fled, gathering my dress in my arms as I leapt through stairs.

Until I ran into a wall.

“Ooof.” My breath knocked out of me as I smacked into a rock. Strong hands gripped me before I landed on my butt. I cursed as I came face to face with golden yellow eyes. My guts tightened and it had nothing to do with being caught.

He reeked of s*x. Reeked. His eyes roamed my face and I could not help the warmness of my skin. I wrenched out of iron grip only to be pulled back in.

“Where do you think you are going?” His gravel voice asked, golden eyes still caressing my face.

I pushed off of his chest but he would not let go. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest, every expanse of it in an exhale pushed against mine. Like the other day. I kicked that thought out of my head with vigour. I would prefer to have that incident scrubbed out of my brain.

“Away from you. Let go of –“ I wrestled out of his arms but his biceps barely flexed as he held me to himself.

“You are not going anywhere, Kayda. You’re mine to keep.” His growl made me deflate.

He lifted me off my feet and threw me over his shoulders, hauling me back to where I had come. Pushing the heavy door out of the way, he walked me to the bed and dumped me unceremoniously.

“Stay,” He ordered, pivoting on his heel. I jumped up after him, racing to the door.

Being cooped up in this place was driving me crazy. I had had minimal human contact, shot no one and I was dying of hunger.

“You defy me still?” His voice became hard and cold. I got a glimpse of the man that terrified even the dragons. It made my chest constrict. “Stay here or by the blood of Nicolas Pendragon, I will kill you myself.” He hissed. My stomach chose that minute to growl.

His eyes dipped down, lingering on my chest before he growled and stormed off. I followed where his eyes had been drawn to and gasped, feeling my cheeks heat up.

Sometime between when the maid had attacked me and now, the buttons on my dress had come loose, exposing my chest. My breasts had not come jumping out but I was showing enough cleavage to be scandalised. I wondered how long I had gone about like that. Had the other dragons seen? I hoped not!

Adela came into the room while I berated myself for being so unaware of my surroundings. The first rule of the hunt was being conscious of everything around. I was losing everything. Fast.

“The king has requested your presence for breakfast.” She muttered. It was no secret that she was not my greatest fan. She spoke to me in a clipped tone and looked at me like I had murdered her king. How would she look at me if I ever managed to put an arrow into him?

“Tell your king to go to hell,” I snipped. Could dragons go to hell? Could they burn? The girl ignored me as I mused. A girl followed behind her, carrying a variety of items. They were dazzling, pulling in my attention as soon as they were brought in.

“Thank you. Please lay them down gently.” Adela said. Her voice lost its hard edge as she smiled at the girl who looked to be Olivia’s age.

She set the things down with exaggerated care, hands quivering as she lay them down and then she turned to me in admiration.

“That will be all, thank you.” She skipped away at Adela’s words.

I turned to her with a glare. “I will not join your king for anything,” I said.

“He expected you to say that. I am to remind you that he is king and you are his. He also said something about having one strike left.” She turned her back on me to pick out an outfit.

I shivered.

I needed to get out and I needed to get out soon. I was sick of being at the mercy of these barbarians. I was sick of being holed up in this room. I was sick of the crazy man who ruled over the beasts.

I will kill you myself.

It was not a day to be a mule head. It sickened me to think that I would have to play according to his rules. Playing by the enemies rules. The realization made my skin crawl and I squeezed my eyes as though I could block it out. Yet, it managed to tout me still.

The new dress was a pale yellow one, off shouldered and with more frivolities than what I had on. The dress was figure-hugging and looked like something my father’s concubine would wear. I winced as Adela gathered up my hair. Without the strands falling into my shoulders, my neck and shoulders were exposed. It also drew attention to the v-cut of the dress and the lace that ran through the middle of the top of it.

I felt exposed. Vulnerable. I missed my turtle-necked blouse, my leather pants. When she slid delicate crystal heels onto my feet, I missed my brown boots with scruffy soles.

Where had my original clothes gone? Adela and the other girl had scooped them off in the name of washing. Why hadn’t they brought it back to me? So many questions. No one to answer them.

“You are not putting that on me,” I growled, stepping away from her.

Her hands quivered as she held on to the impressive neckpiece. It was made of rose gold chains that linked tiny diamonds and for a pendant, it had a big teardrop-shaped green diamond.

“W –what?” She looked at the piece of jewellery in a dazed sort of manner. Her eyes moving hungrily across it as her thumb grazed the pendant. “Do you have the faintest clue where this was gotten?” I could tell with the way she looked at me that she was bursting to tell.

“I do not presume to know and be most assured that I do not care.” I bristled.

“This – this is from his hoard.” She whispered.

“So?” My brows shot up. I could not see why that made her shiver in excitement.

“Do you know what this means?” I had an idea. “He is sharing his treasures with you. A dragon is sharing his treasures. With you!” She exclaimed.

Dragons were not known to be givers. They hoarded everything. The flashier, the better. It mattered not as I did not care. If he felt generous enough to give out from his hoard then he could visit one of the plenty villages himself and his men had razed to the ground. He would find a lot of orphaned children in need of gold bars and brilliant diamonds.

“It changes nothing. I will not wear it.” I flipped around. Her excitement gave way to anger. How could a servant girl understand my lack of excitement for the fancier things? I did not expect her to but I could not find anything fascinating about a gift from a beast.

“You would dare to insult him like that?” Her jaws slackened. “Do you have no regard for your life?” She asked with ticking jaws.

“I have no regard for gifts from beasts,” I sneered. “Will you lead the way to the breakfast hall or shall I wander about till I find it?”

Her eyes widened when she realised she would not get me to wear the jewellery. No matter what she said, I would not be put in a dress and accessorized like a well kept mistress. I was not stoop so low as to assume that position with none other than a dragon.

“A Draki will be here any minute now to lead the way.” She answered. “The king is dining with his Prince and the Prince – he hates humans so I cannot be anywhere close to him.” She cast her eyes to the ground with a shrug. Then she raised it back up with fire back in her eyes.

“I cannot suppose you understand the gravity of all this.” She sighed. “This may be the highest insult to the King and his dragon. The Tor Drakis may think to spare you but his dragon will not.” She sighed.

“I will die one day or another. If today will be the day, then so be it. I will not have all my values stripped off in a few hours to avoid the wrath of a petulant king!”

A knock sounded on the door before a dragon poked his head in. I watched Adela light on fire, blushing down to the roots of her hair.

“The king has requested the presence of Mystique Hunter for breakfast.” Her blush darkened as he spoke. I looked about the both of them but the dragon paid her no attention. His gaze swept over me slowly then his expression grew bored.

“Just a –a minute. Sh – She will be ready in a m –minute.” He nodded curtly and shut the door behind him.

“You have to wear these.” She shoved the neckpiece at me. I shoved it back. “Heavens bear me witness that I tried but your stubbornness stood in the way. Good luck.”